You Were Always There
by RebelGirl13
Summary: It's a shocking revelation when you realize that you're in love. It changes everything, either for the worse or for the better. But there's always that one reason you love the person more than anything. "In my darkest hour, you were always there." A collection of drabbles centering around Astrid and Hiccup.
1. Fighting on the Frontline

**Fighting On The Frontline**

"Oh, come on!" said Astrid, following behind him. "You know I'll be a better help on the frontline. I can't just stick back here and do nothing!"

Hiccup kept walking. His objective was to avoid looking at her. If he looked at her, she looked at him. If she looked at him, his resolve would crumble, and he would give in to her. "So you think it would be better to just let the injured die?" he said heatedly, without turning his head.

"That's not what I meant!" snapped Astrid. "I'm just saying, some girls are trained to stay at the back of the fight and care for the injured. I'm _not_ one of those girls, Hiccup!"

She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to face her. "I was trained to be on the frontline, fighting with the rest of the warriors," she said.

Hiccup set his jaw. He turned around, and once again began to walk away from Astrid. "Wait!" She tried to get herself in between him and the place he was going, but he just kept walking. "Tell me why," she demanded. "Why won't you let me fight? You've never made me stay in the back before."

Hiccup didn't stop walking when he answered her. "We've never had to fight another army with dragons before," he pointed out.

"So? We fought dragons all the time before... Before everything happened!" Astrid insisted.

"But we've never fought an army with soldiers riding on the backs of dragons, have we?" he said dryly. "Trust me, Astrid. This is going to be far worse than just a dragon battle."

"So you don't think I'm capable enough?" said Astrid angrily. "Is that it? You should know as well as anyone that I am more than qualified to be-"

"_I can't lose you!_" Hiccup shouted. He turned around and took hold of her shoulders. Astrid stopped, a look of pure shock etched onto her face. "Listen," he whispered. "They took my father. They... They have Toothless. Please, Astrid. I... I can't lose you, too."

Astrid stared at him for a second. She reached over and hugged him. "You're not going to lose me," she said hoarsely. "We always win. Right?"

"But what if it's different this time? What if this time we lose?" said Hiccup.

Astrid pulled back. "We're not going to win if you keep thinking like that. But, whatever happens, I've got your back. I'll stick with you, remember? Even if it means fighting on the frontline."

Hiccup opened his mouth as if to protest, then closed it again. If anyone could hold their own out there, it was Astrid. If anyone could help him win this battle, it was her. He clasped her hand and held it up a little bit, smiling. "Alright," he said. "Even if it means fighting on the frontline."

* * *

**I was aiming at making a Drabble where Hiccup has to face the fact that Astrid's a warrior at heart. How did I do?**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-Rebel**


	2. He Understood

**He Understood**

Astrid stared blankly out over the ocean. She leaned up against the cliff, hugging her knees to her chest. A small voice in the back of her mind pointed out that this was the very spot where she had convinced Hiccup to go after Toothless, but she pushed it away. That wasn't important. That didn't matter.

She was hardly aware of the presence that walked up to her and sat down beside her, settling himself into the same position she was. She didn't turn to look at him. "Hey," he said. It was Hiccup. "Are you okay?"

Astrid let out a dry laugh. "I'm okay. It always seems like I'm the one who's okay, while the ones I care about get hurt. But sure, I'm okay. Just like I always am."

Hiccup shifted uncomfortably next to her. "It's not like-"

"You know," she cut him off. "Me and Stormfly. We may not be just like you and Toothless. Our thoughts might not be connected like yours always seem to be, but she was still my best friend. She was just..." Astrid let the sentence fall.

"Don't say 'was'," said Hiccup. He let go of his knees and and turned to face her. "Astrid, Stormfly's going to be fine. It wasn't such a bad cut."

"She was cut by a poisoned battle ax, Hiccup," Astrid spat venomously. "A battle ax that had been aiming for me. It's my fault that she's like this." Her voice broke.

"I don't think Stormfly sees it that way," pointed out Hiccup.

"What do you mean?" sniffed Astrid, doing her best to wipe her eyes without letting Hiccup see.

"She was protecting you. It was her choice, not yours. She would rather have you be safe and her with a little scratch than you dead and her riderless," he said.

"It's not just a little _scratch_! Quit trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal!" shouted Astrid, uncurling her body and turning to face Hiccup. "It_ is_ a big deal. At least, it is to me. How would you feel if Toothless had gotten hurt protecting you?"

Hiccup's expression changed. "I didn't think about it that way," he said softly.

Astrid let out a short breath of air. "I just wish they would let me see her, and let me talk to her. She... I..."

Astrid couldn't hold it in any longer. "I'm sorry," she cried, letting the dam that held her tears back break. She felt Hiccup's arms envelop her, and she buried her face into his shoulder, trying unsuccessfully to quell her tears. Of course, in an hour, she would deny such a thing had ever happened. She never _cried_. She certainly wouldn't have done it in front of Hiccup. But for now, she was just grateful that he was there. She was grateful that she wasn't alone. Most of all, she was grateful that he understood.

* * *

**My goal for this Drabble was to bring out a soft side in Astrid while also keeping the sharp edge to her personality that's always been there. How did I do?**

**-Rebel**


	3. Trapped

**Trapped**

Astrid blinked her eyes open and groaned, pressing a hand to her head. It took her a minute to take in her surroundings. She was encased in... Rock? Then it came back to her. There had been a rockslide, and she had been caught under it. The rocks had formed a small alcove around her, falling to rest in such a way that she hadn't been crushed.

She surveyed the damage. Her head was pounding and a cut on the side of her head was bleeding into her hair. She had a large bruise on her side; she figured it was probably a broken rib or two. Other than that, Astrid could only find a few scratches. It dawned on her that she was unbelievably lucky.

"Astrid!" She heard a voice call her name. She recognized the voice, but she didn't know where it was coming from. Then she realized that there were tiny spaces in between the rocks that allowed miniscule shafts of sunlight to shine into the alcove. She could call for help through those.

"Hiccup!" she cried, shifting herself so that she could talk into the cracks.

"Astrid?" His voice was closer, almost as if he was right next to her.

"In here! There's a cave. The rocks fell around me," she explained.

"Are you okay?" he said hoarsely. Now she was sure that he was just on the other side of the rocks.

"Mostly," she said. "So, what's the plan to get me out of here?"

"I'll come up with something," he muttered. "We can't just move the rocks, or they'll crush you. We've gotta figure out some way to take it apart little by little."

"Why don't we dig a tunnel through the sand?" said Snotlout. "That would be fun."

"The sand would collapse on us," said Hiccup through gritted teeth.

"I vote for the tunnel!" said Ruffnut.

"Yeah," agreed Tuffnut.

Astrid was silent for a moment. "How far down the mountain did the rockslide go?" she questioned.

"All the way down," said Hiccup gravely. "We're on the beach now."

"Well, what if we-" Astrid stopped in the middle of her sentence. Her skirt was wet. Her hands were wet. Water was flowing into the alcove from the ocean, probably getting through by one of the cracks. "Hiccup," she said, terrified.

"What's wrong?" called Fishlegs.

She felt the water begin to rise. "There's... A leak. The alcove is filling up with water!" she said.

"Well, it'll just come out the cracks between the rocks, right?" said Tuffnut.

"I think there will be a bit too much water for that," said Astrid shakily as the greenish saltwater began to cover her skin.

She heard some mumbling outside, but wasn't quite sure what they were saying. "Guys," she said. "Don't mind me. I'm just trapped in a cave that's rapidly filling with seawater!"

"We're gonna get you out of there, Astrid," said Hiccup. "I promise."

The water was rising at an alarming rate. It was up to her legs, her waist, her shoulders, faster than she thought was possible. "You guys might wanna get on that!" said Astrid, trying to bottle her panic.

Suddenly, the cave was almost full. Astrid lifted her face up and took a short breath of air. Then, she was completely encased in the water. It seemed to her like she spent an eternity just sitting there, floating. So this is what it's like to drown, she mused.

Her eyes began to close of their own accord. She couldn't keep this up. Just as her consciousness began to fade away, one of the rocks on the side of the alcove shifted. The water rushed out of the alcove onto the beach. Astrid spilled out with it.

She heard someone say her name, and she forced herself to open her eyes. She was lying on the beach, just close enough to the water that the waves lapped at her. It didn't matter, though. She was soaking wet.

Hiccup was kneeling over her, a worried look etched into his face. She couldn't help but smile at this. Her smile was interrupted by a bought of coughing. It felt so strange to have air in her lungs again.

She did her best to sit up. No one said anything for a moment, and the only sound was the waves crashing against the shore. Then Toothless broke the silence. He came over next to Astrid and nuzzled his nose against her protectively. She laughed, as did Hiccup.

She looked over and saw that they had kept the cave from crushing her by having Hookfang hold up the rocks. As he saw she was okay, he let them finish their journey into the water.

Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut all left on their dragons to go tell Stoick about the events that had occurred. Hiccup stayed behind and helped her get to her feet. "Stormfly," he said to her dragon. "Why don't you go ahead?" He made and hand motion that meant 'Go'. Stormfly took off.

"Thanks. That was my ride home, you know," pointed out Astrid.

"Just... Come with me and Toothless. It'll make me feel better after all that," he said.

Astrid shrugged as she climbed onto Toothless. "As long as you don't mind getting wet."

Hiccup grinned. "No problem." He climbed in front of her and they took off. She wrapped her arms around his waist as they flew home, trying to ignore the wind that was rushing by her body, to which the water was contributing a chilly effect.

"I told you I'd get you out," said Hiccup, gently nudging her.

"I never doubted you," she replied.

* * *

**Wow. That could ****_almost_**** be considered a oneshot. Eh. We'll call it a SuperDrabble.**

**-Rebel**


	4. I Dare You

**I Dare You**

"Whoa!" Hiccup looked up to see Stormfly and Astrid racing by him and Toothless. "Head starts don't count!" he called after them, and Toothless took off.

Dragon races weren't an uncommon occurrence among the teens on Berk. They were a way to pass the time when life on a small island in the middle of the ocean became especially boring. Hiccup leaned forward, attempting to make himself more streamlined. As he and Toothless gradually made their way in front of Stormfly, he grinned.

"See you on the other side of Berk!" he teased. Toothless plummeted downwards and snapped his wings open, creating a rush of wind that blew straight towards Astrid and Stormfly.

Toothless sped towards the beach that had been the designated finish line. They arrived there quite a while before Stormfly and Astrid did, so Hiccup suggested they land. When a red faced Astrid pulled up beside them, it was all he could do not to burst out laughing.

"So," he said, hopping off of Toothless. "You ready?"

Astrid climbed off of Stormfly with a scowl on her face. "I dare you to make me," she said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, come on!" said Hiccup, walking towards her. "It won't be that bad!"

"Then why don't you do it?" Astrid suggested.

"Because I didn't lose the bet," he pointed out. "We said whoever lost the race had to jump into the ocean. It would only be fair."

Before Astrid could respond, something picked Hiccup up from behind. "Hey!" he heard Astrid shriek in surprise. He looked up to see that Stormfly had picked both him and Astrid up in her claws, and she was flying out over the ocean.

They were plunged under the icy water, making the unusually warm day take a chilly turn. Hiccup's head didn't stay under long. After a moment of initial panic, he realized that he could stand if he stretched a little bit.

Astrid, on the other hand, couldn't. It was then that Hiccup realized that he had actually gained a few inches on her. She was floundering through the water and doing her best to stay above the waves. She turned to her dragon, who was now safely back on the beach. "What in Thor's name is _wrong_ with you?!" she shouted.

Hiccup laughed and took her hand, leading her towards shallower water. When they finally got to a place where Astrid could stand, the water was at her shoulders. "I swear, you planned this," she muttered, glaring at Hiccup. She clutched her shivering arms.

Hiccup wasn't quite sure what to say, so he did the most impulsive thing he could think of; he reached his hand into the water and splashed Astrid. Her face lit up as if she was speculating a new challenge, and he turned around to try to run away.

"Oh, no you don't!" she said, flinging all the water that she could manage at him.

About a half an hour later, they both dragged themselves onto the beach, exhausted. Astrid glanced at Hiccup's prosthetic leg, seemingly worried, but he just shrugged. "I just hope the wood doesn't rot," he said mildly.

They built a fire and sat beside it, trying to dry off as the sun began to set. Astrid sat down next to him on the sand and punched his shoulder. "Next time we have a dragon race-" she started. She didn't have a chance to finish before Hiccup's lips connected with hers. It was a quick, firm kiss, but Hiccup could still sense her surprise.

When he pulled away, he saw her eyes widen and her fist begin to clench, and he grinned. "I dare you," he teased.

Astrid looked down at her fist, seemingly unaware that it was going into pulverize mode. She didn't say anything. She just leaned up against Hiccup and sighed. From a distance, their dragons were watching with wide eyes.

* * *

**Is anyone as excited as I am for the first part of the season finale of Riders of Berk?**

**Huh. Apparently, Fanfiction thinks that the word "sense" is misspelled...**

**-Rebel**


	5. Who You Are

**Who You Are**

"Astrid!" Hiccup called, pulling up beside her. He dismounted Toothless. "Hey, are you alright?"

Astrid was at a loss for words. The sight that she had just seen had totally frozen her mind, wiping all coherent thoughts from the surface of her brain. She just stood there like an idiot, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"He killed the dragon," she whispered, as if the realization had just dawned on her. "Alvin killed that dragon," she said, with more conviction. She was starting to realize just how angry she was. "He was defending his Rider, and Alvin _killed_ him!"

She began to get back on Stormfly, but Hiccup pulled her wrists gently, stopping her. "Astrid, you can't go back. There's nothing we can do about it now."

She glanced at her surroundings. All around them, people were returning. The raid on Outcast Island hadn't gone specifically as planned. The raid itself had been intended to show that the people of Berk weren't weak, and weren't about to back down. And yet, they were the ones who ended up retreating. Fate had such a cruel way of stringing life along.

Astrid put a hand to her forehead. She and Hiccup were a bit farther away from everyone else, up on the cliff that overlooked the sea, so nobody would be able to hear what she was about to say. "That would've been me," she murmured.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?!" he exclaimed.

"I mean... Hiccup, think about it. A year ago, I would have killed a dragon in an instant, and I would have been _proud_ of it. If you hadn't shown Toothless to me, I would've become a murder." Her voice cracked.

"Well, you wouldn't now, so..." Hiccup seemed to be unsure of where the conversation was going.

"But what if that part of me is still there? The part that wanted nothing more than to kill dragons?" she said.

Hiccup sighed, taking both of her hands in his. "Astrid, look. It's not important if you use to be like that. So was everyone else! It doesn't matter who you were. What's important is who you _are_. You would never hurt a dragon, much less kill one. Everyone knows that."

Astrid took a deep breath. "I... I guess you're right."

Hiccup grinned. "Well, of course. I'm always right, aren't I?"

Astrid rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. Then, in one swift motion, she leaned over, kissed his cheek, and climbed back onto Stormfly. As she flew away, she was aware of Hiccup's eyes burning into the back of her head all the way until she was out of his sight.

* * *

**I was listening to the radio when "We R Who We R" came on, and I must say, I was surprised that a Drabble started running through my head. I suppose you can draw inspiration from anything, even a Ke$ha song.**

**-Rebel**


	6. He Understood Part 2

**He Understood Part 2**

Hiccup sighed, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. He had been sitting by this bed for hours, holding her hand, and waiting for something to happen. In truth, he wasn't even supposed to be in the room. Gothi had banned all visitors until further notice, but Hiccup couldn't bear it. He had to see if Astrid was alright.

So here he was, hours later, and not a thing had changed. Flashbacks of what happened kept running through his mind, making him shudder every few moments. He was almost certain that he would have nightmares about the event.

_Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup saw her dismount Stormfly and begin running towards him. The Outcast began racing towards Stormfly._

Hiccup winced. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

_The Outcast's crossbow was pointed at Stormfly's heart. Astrid saw this, and with a wild cry she flung herself in between her dragon and her enemy._

He blinked back his tears. He refused to turn into a wimp. Astrid wouldn't want him to start crying, so he wasn't going to.

_The arrow moved so quickly that Hiccup barely even saw it before it was sticking out of Astrid's flank. She crumpled to the ground. Stormfly flew into a fit of rage. Needless to say, the dragon finished off the Outcast._

He wished more than anything that she wasn't in pain. He wished that it didn't hurt her like this.

_He called out her name and tried to run to her motionless body, but Toothless prevented him from going to her. "Please," he begged. "She needs me."_

Well, maybe she hadn't need him specifically, but she had needed _someone_.

_Hiccup saw his father pick Astrid up and they flew back to the village. Hiccup followed, begging just to see her, but no one would allow him access, as if they were trying to shield him from something to which he had already been exposed._

If he could somehow transfer this pain from her to himself, he would do it in a second. But if he could turn back the clock, he wouldn't stop her from doing it. He would have done the same for her, or Toothless. He might regret that she got hurt, but one thing was for certain: he knew why she did it. He understood.

* * *

**This is... Somewhat connected to my other drabble of the same name. Well, not really, but this is more of a Dream High 2 situation.**

**-Rebel**


	7. Because I Know You

**Because I Know You**

"Hiccup, I swear! If you don't stop following me around, I'm going to lead you right down to the forge, grab a sword, and chop your hand off!" Astrid was in a particularly bad mood that day. Nobody knew why, and she intended to keep it that way. But, of course, the hinderance in her logic was Hiccup. He kept following her around, making sure she was "okay". But being "okay" was such a relative term, so every time she refused to answer, he persisted more.

"I'm just worried about you!" insisted Hiccup. "I mean, why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what?" she demanded, placing a hand on her hip.

"Acting like there's something that's wrong but you're too stubborn to tell anyone about because it might make you look like a normal person. You know, with feelings?" he said.

Astrid glared at him. "Why do you think something's wrong?"

"Because I know you, and this isn't you! Come on, Astrid," he pleaded. "Tell me what's going on."

Astrid looked away. "Are you sure?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Sure of what?"

"That you know me?" she said. The words had been intended to sting, and they had certainly struck a chord in Hiccup.

"Of course I know you! I probably know you better than anyone!" he said. Astrid knew he was right, but she couldn't just give up.

"What do you know, then?" she challenged.

"I know that you are really good at picking fights, but you're also usually the one to break them up. I know that you sometimes wish that you were like all the other girls on Berk. I know you're really good at avoiding something that you don't want to talk about. And I know that you always refuse help that's offered to you because of your stupid pride!"

Astrid turned to walk away, not wanting to reveal how much those words meant to her, but Hiccup grabbed her arm. "Just tell me," he begged. "Tell me what's wrong."

Astrid looked up at the sky. And then, she told him. She spilled her heart out to that boy, telling him everything that was bothering her. There was nothing he could do about it, of course. But there was something that he could do about her.

Hiccup put his arms around her and hugged her close. She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her chest, and also her heart. He really did know her. He had taken the time to learn about her, and he cared. And as strange as it sounded, Astrid loved it.

* * *

**Aha! I bet you thought I was gonna tell you what Astrid's problem was. But this, my friends, is a literary device. You have to think of what _you_ think was wrong.**

**-Rebel**


	8. Hurt

**Hurt**

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want, but Stormfly's spikes hurt!" declared Snotlout.

"I know. That's why I told her to fire!" said Astrid.

"Okay, well, which do you think is worse: emotional hurt or physical hurt?" said Ruffnut.

"Uh, they're both awesome! Aren't they?" said Tuffnut.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. His friends were... interesting. They were strange, but... well, they were his friends. That was just the way it was.

"Emotional pain," announced Fishlegs. "It's the worst."

"I'm with Fishlegs on that one," agreed Astrid.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. That wasn't something he had expected Astrid to say. And apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought that.

"No way," said Tuffnut. "Astrid doesn't have feelings!"

She turned to glare at him.

"You mean, Astrid doesn't feel emotional pain. She causes it," corrected Snotlout.

"Hey!" Astrid placed her hands on her hips.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Snotlout has a point, Astrid," Hiccup chimed in. "When have you ever truly had your feelings hurt?"

"Oh, she has. It was by a _guy_, too," Ruffnut said slyly.

"Ruffnut!" Astrid tackled Ruffnut to the ground so that she couldn't speak. "She, uh, wasn't going to say anything. Right?" she said menacingly. Ruffnut managed a nod.

Astrid stood up and brushed her hands off. "You got your feelings hurt and you went to Ruffnut about it?" cried Fishlegs. "The last time I checked, I was the emotional one around here!"

"That never happened!" insisted Astrid.

"And she didn't tell me, I figured it out," added Ruffnut.

Hiccup was genuinely interested. "Who was it?" he said. And he kept asking, all week. He annoyed Astrid to the point where she hid when she heard him coming, and he knew it, too.

Finally, one day when they were alone, she had had enough. "It was _you_!" she exploded.

Hiccup froze. His consciousness stiffened, and he couldn't think. He had hurt Astrid. "When?" he blurted out.

She opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Then she sighed. "When... when Heather came. When you believed the word of a total stranger over me."

Hiccup was speechless. He knew that incident had not been Astrid's happiest moment, but he never thought he was actually capable of hurting her. He couldn't think of an apology, so he settled with "That was pretty stupid, I guess."

Astrid narrowed her eyes and turned to walk away, but Hiccup grabbed her arm. She kept her back to him, but he refused to let her go. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I... I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know," she said simply.

Hiccup was ashamed. He let go of Astrid's arm and lowered his head, faintly aware of her turning to face him.

"That's why I forgave you," she said softly. She punched his arm, but the punch did not possess it's usual zeal.

Hiccup looked up. "Really?"

Astrid laughed. "Forget about it! That was a while ago. And, besides, you learned your lesson."

Hiccup smiled. "Always listen to Astrid," he agreed.

* * *

**Okay, guys, I'm running out of inspiration. If you guys have any drabble prompts, PLEASE TELL ME! I mean, uh, I would be happy to attempt the prompt. :D**

**-Rebel**


	9. Just Say You Love Me

**Just Say You Love Me**

* * *

** This drabble is set quite a few years after Riders of Berk.**

* * *

Astrid walked up slowly behind Hiccup. He didn't seem to be noticing her as he tightened the strap on Toothless's saddle. She was doing everything she could to not think about the fight they had had last night, but those kind of things were extremely difficult to forget.

_"You don't always have to be the hero!" she yelled. "It's not your sole responsibility to take care of every single person on Berk!" _

_"Yes, it is!" insisted, Hiccup, who was equally angry. "I'm the chief now, Astrid. I have to protect my people."_

_"But there are people offering you help everywhere, and you're ignoring it! Your 'people' are willing to fight for you. Why won't you let them? Why won't you let me?" Her voice was broken and raw with emotion, but Hiccup refused to acknowledge it._

_"Look. It's me Alvin wants, not any of you. If he takes my life, then he'll leave the rest of you alone."_

_"No!" Astrid was nearly screaming. "That's not how it will be! He'll keep trying to kill every single one of us off until the word 'Berk' has become nothing more than an old wive's tale! And just think of how much easier it will be for him if we have no chief to lead us."_

Hiccup had refused to listen to her, though. Now Astrid regretted every word she had said. She didn't want his last memory of her to be one full of shouting, but that's why she was there now.

Hiccup still failed to notice said girl come up behind him, but Toothless didn't. Toothless made a small noise and nudged Hiccup towards her.

Astrid gave a small laugh. "I remember the last time he did that." She looked down. "We were just kids."

"Wish I still was a kid," commented Hiccup. Astrid noticed how they were both pretending that no shouting match had occurred between them. "If I was still a teenager, maybe none of this would be so complicated right now."

Astrid sucked in a deep breathe. "So you are going?"

"It's the only way," he said.

Astrid's jaw set in a firm line. "Then what should I do? You know, when you go?"

"Take care of everyone," he said. "Make sure that they stay safe. The dragons will protect you."

"I know," she said softly. She turned to face him. "Hiccup-"

She couldn't find the words to finish the sentence. Hiccup turned around and began to walk away from her. She was desperate to keep him with her, if just for a few seconds longer.

"Just..." she called, trailing off. He stopped, but he kept his back to her. She took a deep breath. "Just say you love me," she whispered. "Just once."

He turned around and began walking towards her. He didn't stop until their faces were so close they were barely touching. And then he kissed her, slowly, as if trying to delay the inevitable.

Then, without a word, he ran over to Toothless, climbed on, and flew off into the distance. Astrid felt like she should be crying, but she smiled. Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew he would come back to her, just like he always did.

As Toothless's figure began to get smaller and smaller, Astrid could have sworn she heard a faint cry echo over the wind. "I love you!"

* * *

**So, I have discovered something: I am dreadful at writing prompts! Sorry! They were all fantastic , though!**

**-Rebel**


	10. Go

**Go**

* * *

**This drabble is in Astrid's POV.**

* * *

Just go. Go be the idiot that you are. Go save the day. Be the hero. And then when you come back, I'll be waiting for you.

Go ahead and try. Try to make me miss you when you're gone. Try to make me stay up all night worrying and practically pass out the next day. Try to make me want to come after you and drag you back with me, to safety. Just try. It'll probably work.

Go ahead and break my heart. Something I thought no one would ever be capable of, and then you came along. Break my heart by telling me that if you're not the hero, who else will be? Break me by leaving, and coming back in shards.

Go ahead and be yourself. Your awkward, out-of-place, adorably endearing self. I won't judge you, and I'll pulverize anyone who does. You don't have to be something different for us. Well, not me. I'll love you anyways.

Just go. Leave me, come back, make me sick with worry, reassure me. Break me, like you break everything. Fix me, and in the process, make me a little better than I was, like you do with everything you break. You're the only one who can reduce me to this blithering fool. The only one who can convince me everything will be okay.

Just go.

But come back to me.

Because I'll be waiting.

* * *

**I know it's been a while, but I'll post two to make up for it.**

**-Rebel**


	11. At My Worst

**At My Worst**

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**This drabble is in Astrid's POV.**

* * *

You always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe, you're in the right place at the right time, and the rest of us just haven't caught on. You've seen everyone in the village, and all their different sides. You've even seen me.

You've seen me at my best. You've seen me when I was braving the dragon battles, or acing training. You've seen me when I was prepared to wow anyone who was watching.

You've seen my quiet side. When I'm not in the mood to talk about anything, and you get it. You completely understand.

You've seen my livid side. The one that will throw a rib-crushing punch at anyone who's in my way when I'm angry. But when I asked you about it, you just shrugged and said "We all have those days."

You've seen me when I was afraid. When Toothless took us to the Dragon's Nest for the first time, I was completely and utterly terrified, and I know you could tell. I clutched your waist so tightly, I'm surprised that you didn't snap in half. But somehow, for no logical reason at all, when you were that close, I felt a little bit safer.

You've seen me at my worst. You've seen me break down into tears, collapse on the ground in sobs, and you've even seen me pass out because of stress. You've seen the side of me that I worked so hard to hide, only to have you come and uncover it. You've seen me lying in bed, shivering with fever. You've seen me on the ground, clutching my side in pain. All in all, you've seen me when I was weak, quite a few too many times.

And yet you love me anyways. I'll never understand that. You keep telling me that you love me, even though I have these crazy issues. You say that being weak is part of human nature; I can't help it is I'm that way sometimes.

I'm a perfectionist. I hate it when people see me at my worst, especially you.

But you love me anyways.

You'll always love me.

Why?

This is what you told me: "You're imperfectly flawless."

* * *

**-Rebel**


	12. He Doesn't Even Realize

**He Doesn't Even Realize**

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**This drabble is in Stoick's POV.**

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"They're back!" Stoick breathed a sigh of relief as the cheer echoed throughout the crowd of Vikings.

His son had run off again, no doubt to save the island from some disastrous fate. He had muttered a few words about a Changewing that had gone mad as he rushed out the door, but no details had been properly disclosed.

Now, he and his friends were pulling their dragons up next to the village. Stoick grinned broadly as he approached them, but his good mood faded as the sight came clearly into view. Stormfly, Astrid's dragon, had no rider... because Astrid was on Toothless. Stoick watched as Hiccup got off of his dragon and helped Astrid down.

She was leaning on him heavily, her sides heaving with effort. She clutched her side with one hand and Hiccup put the other around his shoulders. Hiccup, Stoick knew, was not strong enough to fully support her, so she obviously still had some strength left, but it was fading quickly.

Stoick began walking toward them. Astrid seemed to be saying something, and a look of panic flashed across Hiccup's face. Astrid's head lolled against Hiccup's chest, and he was forced to lower her down onto the ground. He kneeled next to her on the ground. Stoick was close enough now that he could hear him repeating her name, trying in vain to wake her up.

"Hiccup!" he called, but his son seemed not to hear. All he was focusing on was Astrid's face, his eyes wild with worry.

Stoick finally reached him. "What happened, son?"

Hiccup opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He seemed to be having trouble speaking. "She... the Changewing. It got her with the acid. The burn is really bad... It's all my fault," he choked out, stammering in between gasps.

Stoick was aware of Spitelout coming over and picking up Astrid's limp form, following Gothi to the edge of the crowd. "No!" shouted Hiccup, fighting to follow her.

Stoick held him back. "It's alright, son. She'll be alright." Hiccup calmed down enough so that he didn't have to be restrained, but he was still crying.

Hiccup was staring after where they had taken Astrid. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Stoick put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. He couldn't stop watching the look of horrified concern that remained on his son's face for the next three days while Astrid was being cared for. He wouldn't stop pacing, and he stayed shut up in his room. The one time Stoick overheard him suggesting flying to Toothless, the dragon had snorted sadly and rested his head on his wing.

The day Astrid was able to walk again was a miracle. Hiccup ran right up to her and she threw his arms around him, as if they had been apart forever. He watched as Hiccup rested his head on hers and she buried her face in his shirt.

And that was when Stoick realized it; Astrid was more than just a girl to his son. She was more than just a friend who had been injured. She was a loved one who had been close to death, on his account. When Stoick could see Hiccup's face again, he saw eyes flooded with relief, his fingers interlaced with Astrid's. And he could tell, perhaps better than anyone, that Hiccup cared for this girl. In fact, he might possibly even be in love with her.

But of course, thought Stoick, don't jump to conclusions. He's just a boy, after all. He probably doesn't even realize he's in love.

But Stoick did.

* * *

**-Rebel**


	13. Maddeningly Superior

**Maddening Superiority**

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**This drabble is in Toothless's POV.**

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I have watched over Hiccup since he was fourteen. I have made sure he was safe, and happy. But I could never speak to him. Sometimes he read my mind and knew what I meant. But there were some things I could never help him with as much as I would have liked to.

Astrid was the main thing. He was so awkward around her at most times, like he couldn't figure out just what to say. Other times, he wasn't confident enough, and chickened out at the last moment when he faced her. Gods, that annoyed me.

I myself had plenty of experience with the female gender in my young age. Watching Hiccup fumble and trip during his romance made me want to fall right out of the sky. Being superior is quite maddening, you know.

There were a few times when he got things right, though.

He was always able to calm her down when she was angry. That was good, seeing as when Astrid got angry, the children of the village hid under their beds and prayed to the gods that she wasn't mad at them.

He was always able to cheer her up. He could just put a hand on her shoulder and murmur a few words into her ear and she would smile and convince him that she was fine.

He always turned to her for help when it was something that I couldn't do for him, which I understand. A dragon can't do everything, however superior they might be.

So maybe Hiccup was better than I gave him credit for. And Astrid was, too. I always liked her. (Okay, maybe not always.) But I could tell she really did care about him. And she seemed to care about me, too.

Hiccup went through his ups and downs with Astrid. I tried to help him, but I can't do everything. They turned out just fine, though. I didn't even mind not helping so much.

Even if I was maddeningly superior.

* * *

**I had to.**

**I'm really annoyed because someone kept telling me that I copied the lyrics from my songfic and I told them over and over "I swear, I didn't," and they responded by saying "No, you did." How would you know? I'm the one who wrote it!**

**Sorry for my ranting.**

**Okay, I don't know why everyone's freaking out about the pictures of older Hiccup. I like them. Honestly? I don't look the same as I did five years ago. As people grow, they change. It's the circle of life. And it moves us all...**

**Wait. Wrong fandom.**

**-Rebel**


	14. You Were Always There

**You Were Always There**

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**This drabble is in Hiccup's POV.**

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You were always there when I needed you.

When I needed _someone_.

Anyone.

And I wouldn't have chosen anyone but you.

Because I can count on you. That's something you've proven to me, time and time again. I know you'll be there for me when I need it, regardless of anything else that's going on.

I know you. That's something you can't deny. I spent years trying to get to know you, and you pushed me away. When I gave up, when I stopped trying so hard, you came to me. I was able to show you things you hadn't realized before. I know you, because I helped you know yourself, and you did the same for me.

I trust you. I'm not exactly a wary person, but I don't trust blindly, either. You've given me more than no reason to mistrust you- you given me several reasons to have faith in you.

I believe in you. I believe that you'll make the right choices, even if it might be hard, because that's what you do. I won't say "you always do what's right," because that's not true. In fact, you screw things up all the time. But you know you've messed up. You're sorry. And you do everything in your power to fix it. That's the right choice, in the end.

I love you. It's not something I really wanted to happen, but it did. I fell in love with you. You and your violent advice, your aggressiveness, your possessiveness. I love you because you're true. You don't try to be someone you're not. You're you.

There's another reason, though, why I love you.

Countless reasons.

But you were always there.

When I needed encouragement, when I needed help with anything, or when I needed a punch on the arm to remind me not to overstep boundaries, you were there.

In my darkest hour, you are always there.

And because I have faith in you,

Because I know you,

Because I love you,

I know that you always will be.

* * *

**I am sad to say, this is my last drabble. I hope you all enjoyed these random, pointless stories.**

**-Rebel**


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